Ukip candidate ‘outed’ as former EDL member. Bradley Monk denies links to the group found on Facebook

Posted by Marmite on May 6, 2015 · Comments Off on Ukip candidate ‘outed’ as former EDL member. Bradley Monk denies links to the group found on Facebook

A Ukip candidate who has been linked to the far-right yesterday denied he had ever been a member of the English Defence League.

Bradley Monk, who will stand for the party in south-east Cornwall in tomorrow’s general election, was alleged to been active in the anti-Muslim group by two independent sources.

After he ran into trouble two years ago for donning a Jimmy Savile mask at a Halloween party, an article in the Plymouth Herald drew a comment from Darryl Hawke, who wrote: “I know that kid was once part of the English Defence League get on lad.”

And following a EDL demonstration in 2011, Mr Monk appeared to have defended the organisation underneath a video of a clash between far-right thugs and anti-fascists.

The video was posted on Facebook on a page that has since been deleted, but a screenshot of a Google search in January reveals that Mr Monk’s Facebook profile posted: “1. there was about 15 muslim youths and 2. they attacked the women” in response to the video’s title “2 Muslim Youths Vs 60+ EDL — Fight Outside London Magistrates Court.”When contacted by the Star yesterday, Mr Monk said he could not “personally remember” posting the comment.

“Possibly one of my friends at the time, when I was at college, hacked my Facebook and did it, I don’t know,” he said.

But a witness approached the Star and said Mr Monk had declared himself to be active in the EDL before another rally in 2011.

The source told the Star that the Ukip candidate, who is pictured on his website standing alongside Nigel Farage, allegedly complained about local opposition to the EDL demonstration at the time.

Mr Monk said yesterday he had never been active in the racist group.

“I don’t have anything to do with the EDL, no,” he said.

“I wasn’t [a member] and never have been.”Asked if his political outlook differed from that of the EDL, he said: “Most rationally minded people would disagree with radical Islam and fundamentalist Islam, but I don’t believe the EDL, what they do — their motives were far more sinister than that.”